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What are your experiences with private healthcare?

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    #11
    Get BUPA as part of job. I always go to GP first. And in an emergency its NHS always.

    But for routine medical stuff BUPA is awesome. I did use it recently - was excellent.

    I also get Medicash. Which pays up the BUPA excess.

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      #12
      Exeter Friendly - Amazing service / Amazing value. If it wasn't for them, I'd never had certain treatment on the NHS within 18-24 months, that I had within 7 days.
      I was an IPSE Consultative Council Member, until the BoD abolished it. I am not an IPSE Member, since they have no longer have any relevance to me, as an IT Contractor. Read my lips...I recommend QDOS for ALL your Insurance requirements (Contact me for a referral code).

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        #13
        BUPA. Not cheap but worthwhile.
        ...my quagmire of greed....my cesspit of laziness and unfairness....all I am doing is sticking two fingers up at nurses, doctors and other hard working employed professionals...

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          #14
          Why not cut out the middleman and pay as you go.
          I needed a couple of consultations with a consultant, at 250/hour so not cheap, but I was able to avoid the hassle of claiming on insurance.

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            #15
            It's been a mixed bag with private health care.

            The good.
            I can get to see a private GP pretty fast, but it could be any doctor.

            I can usually see a consultant pretty fast and get to wait in a nice area with a coffee or tea and feel pretty relaxed.

            The care is usually excellent for minor operations, you get a choice of breakfast and sandwiches. You get a nice private room.

            No so good.
            If it's a chronic condition depending on your level of cover you may struggle to get Bupa to pay for a visit. Never assume they will pay, call them and get an authorisation number.

            Private health care provider may force you to switch to a cheaper consultant, which is annoying.

            I worry about private health care incentivising doctors to make unnecessary operations.

            I have excellent private health care from my wife's job and when it works well its fantastic.

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              #16
              Originally posted by woohoo View Post
              It's been a mixed bag with private health care.

              The good.
              I can get to see a private GP pretty fast, but it could be any doctor.

              I can usually see a consultant pretty fast and get to wait in a nice area with a coffee or tea and feel pretty relaxed.

              The care is usually excellent for minor operations, you get a choice of breakfast and sandwiches. You get a nice private room.

              No so good.
              If it's a chronic condition depending on your level of cover you may struggle to get Bupa to pay for a visit. Never assume they will pay, call them and get an authorisation number.

              Private health care provider may force you to switch to a cheaper consultant, which is annoying.

              I worry about private health care incentivising doctors to make unnecessary operations.

              I have excellent private health care from my wife's job and when it works well its fantastic.
              I worry about private health care incentivising doctors to make unnecessary operations.
              I visited my doctor because of a right hand side groin pain. He diagnosed a hernia. He didn't seem to place any importance on my story when I told him that I'd had the pain off and on for many years after I'd had an appendectomy. He referred me to a specialist, who also confirmed I had a hernia, He advised that three months hence it would be like an egg and would continue to expand. The cost of treatment was £2000. That was 10 years ago, and no hernia appeared. I still have the pain from time to time.

              Comment


                #17
                Originally posted by JohntheBike View Post
                I visited my doctor because of a right hand side groin pain. He diagnosed a hernia. He didn't seem to place any importance on my story when I told him that I'd had the pain off and on for many years after I'd had an appendectomy. He referred me to a specialist, who also confirmed I had a hernia, He advised that three months hence it would be like an egg and would continue to expand. The cost of treatment was £2000. That was 10 years ago, and no hernia appeared. I still have the pain from time to time.
                Good.

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                  #18
                  Originally posted by Old Greg View Post
                  Does the hospital have ICU beds? Otherwise I would be suspicious of calling this more than an urgent care / minor injury unit.
                  If you have a private hospital and things go wrong, the hospital will just cart you off to ICU in a NHS hospital.

                  I remember a story about a girl who has spinal surgery. The hospital had no doctor on overnight. The girl complained - was not seen until doctor came on shift. Surgeon turned white and took her straight to theatre. Was not enough to keep her out of a wheelchair for life.

                  Private is great for minor stuff. Anything more serious, its NHS all the way.

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                    #19
                    Originally posted by GJABS View Post
                    Why not cut out the middleman and pay as you go.
                    I needed a couple of consultations with a consultant, at 250/hour so not cheap, but I was able to avoid the hassle of claiming on insurance.
                    I do this as needed (i.e. very occasionally) and it has worked very well. I go to BMI, they are excellent.

                    Comment


                      #20
                      Originally posted by JohntheBike View Post
                      I visited my doctor because of a right hand side groin pain. He diagnosed a hernia. He didn't seem to place any importance on my story when I told him that I'd had the pain off and on for many years after I'd had an appendectomy. He referred me to a specialist, who also confirmed I had a hernia, He advised that three months hence it would be like an egg and would continue to expand. The cost of treatment was £2000. That was 10 years ago, and no hernia appeared. I still have the pain from time to time.
                      I've been to the same consultant through private health care for many years, nothing serious just nasal polyps. He is quite open about the costs and how much he makes from consultations and operations. He tends to work part time and does the operations in the morning and consultations in the afternoon. He makes far more from the operations.

                      Bupa have slashed the amount he can charge, so operations are where the cash is for him. That's a big incentive.

                      Comment

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